Joint



Sept. 16,4 1947.

Hlzw.`

AT T DRNEY j INVENTOR. THEMA-E.-

JOINT T. J. HOY 1 VFiled Feb. 12, 1944 Patente'd Sept. 16, 1947 UNITEDSTATES. PATENT oFFlcE Thomas J. Hoy, Newark, N. J.

Application February 12, 1944, Serial No. 522,043

2 Claims. (Cl. 285-91) l This invention relates to joints and moreparticularly to flexible joints for use between members which move inrelation to one another.

Joints of the character of the present invention are generally used forjoining two conduits Y for conducting fluid which conduits have movementin relationship to each other. It is essential that the joint beflexible to permit movement of the conduits and at the same time befluidtight. The present invention provides a fluidtight flexible joint.

The invention will be understood from the following description whenconsidered in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a partthereof and in which:

Fig. l is a vertical sectional view of a joint of the present invention,and

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but of another form ofthe invention.

Like characters of reference refer to like parts throughout the views. l

Referring to the form of the invention shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing,the reference numeral I designates a tubular socket member having acurved surface I I forming a socket at one end thereof, A hollow,substantially hemisphericalshaped member I2 is adapted to be received inthe socket member and has a curved outer surface I3 and a curved innersurface I4. The

curved outer surface I3 is of substantially the same radius as thesurface II and is adapted to slidably engage the surface II. The memberIZ has a tubular extension I5 screw-threaded at I6 in the inner surfacethereof to receive one end of a conduit, not shown.

The surface I3 of the member I2 is held in tight, slidable engagementwith the surface II of the socket member I0 by means of a retaining ringII which bears against a sealing gasket I8 which, as shown, is ofresilient material but which may be f metal, if desired. The gasket I8is positioned between the retaining ring l 'I and the surface I4. Theinner periphery I9 of the retaining ring, as shown, is substantiallyfrustroconical shaped while the outer periphery 20 is substantiallyannular shaped and has an annular extension 2|. The outer periphery 22of the gasket I8 is curved at substantially the same radius as the innersurface I4 of the member I2 so that the periphery 22 will engage thesurface I4. The gasket I8 is recessed at 23 to receive the extension 2|.A tubular shaped resilient sealing member 24 of a diameter less than theinside diameter of the member I2, bears at one end thereof against theextension 2| of the ring I'I. The opposite end of the sealing member isengaged by an end cap 25 which is screwed into the end of the socketmember I0 opposite the end adapted to Vcontain the member I2, thescrew-threads on the outer periphery of the cap engaging thescrewthreads on the inner periphery of the socket member.l The cap has acylindrical bore 26 therethrough which bore is of substantially the samediameter as the inside diameter of the sealing member 24 and extensionI5. The bore is screwthreaded at 21 to receive a conduit, not shown. Thesealing member 24, as shown, comprises a resilient metallic bellowshaving a plurality of annular leaves 28 of resilient material whichleaves are superimposed in spaced relationship to one another and are,as shown, reversely bent transversely thereof, eachleaf being connectedin fluid-tight relationship adjacent the opposite edges thereof to theleaf adjacent the opposite sides thereof. The sealing member 24 ispreferablyv welded at one end thereof in fluid-tight relationship to thecap 25 and welded at the other end thereof to the ring I'I influid-tight relationship. Since the sealing member 24 is of lesserdiameter than the inside diameter of the socket member I0, a lubricatingchamber 29 is formed. A lubricant is admitted t0 the chamber 29 throughan aperture normally closed by the plug 3D.

With the joint of the form of the invention shown in Fig. 1, when thecap 25 is screwed into position in the socket member IIJ, the resilientsealing member 24 is placed under tension which exerts a pressure on theretaining ring II. Pressure on the retaining ring I'I causes the ring toforce the outer periphery 22 into tight but slidable engagement with theinner surface I4 of the member I2. Pressure on the retaining ring I'Iand sealing gasket I8 will force the outer surface I3 of the member I2into tight but slidable engagement with the inner surface II of thesocket member I0. The sealing gasket I8 receives lubricant from thechamber 29 as do the surfaces II and I3. A fluid-tight, iieXible jointin which the contacting surfaces of the joint are lubricated is,therefore, provided. This invention also provides a joint in which equalpressure is exerted throughout substantially the entire area of thecontacting surfaces. Fluid will not leak from the joint since thesealing gasket is held in tight engagement with the inner surface of themember I2 and the outer surface of the member I2 is held in tightengagement with the innersurface I I of the socket member by theresilient sealing member 24 which is under tension. An' incause thebellows to tend to expand thereby increasing the pressure exerted on theretaining ring I'I which in turn increases the pressure on the sealinggasket I8 and the member I2 thereby tightening the joint,

In the form of the invention shown in Fig. 2, the sealing gasket I8 isheld in engagement with the surface I4 of the member I2 and the surfaceI3 of the member I2 is held in engagement with the surface II of thesocket member I by means of a tubular retaining member 3|, the outsidediameter of which is less than the inside diameter of the socket memberI0 or the inside diameter of the member I2. The inner periphery of theend of the retaining member adjacent the gasketY I8 is substantiallyfrustro-conical shaped, as shown at 32, the outer periphery of said endbeing reduced in diameter to form a recess 33 which receives asubstantial part of the gasket Hl, the gasket being recessed to receivean annular projection 34 on the member 3| adjacent the recess 33. Themember 3| has an annular extension 35 axially spaced from the recessedend of said member so that atop to the lubricating chamber 29 is formed.The extension 3,5 is screw-threaded to engage the screw-threads 36 inthe inner pe riphery of the member I3. A lock-nut 3l' is also adapted toengage screw-threads .36 in the member I0 so that the member 3| may belocked in position. The member 3| is screw-threaded at 39 to receive aconduit, not shown. Y

In the form of the invention shown in Fig. 2, the periphery 22 of thesealing gasket I8 is held in tight, slidable relationship with thesurface Id ofthe member I2, and the surface I3 of the member I2 is heldin tight sli-dable relationship with the `surface |-I of the member I0by turning the member 3| so that the screw-threads in the eX- tension 35engage the screw-threads 36 to thereby more themember 3| toward. thesealing gasket I8.v The member 3| is turned until the extension 34 onthe member .3| presses the periphery 22 of the sealing gasket I8 intotight slidable engagement with the surface I4 of the member I2 which inturn will press the surface I3 of the member I2 into tight, slidableengagement with the surm face II of the Vsocket member I0. The tightnessof the engagement between said surfaces can be adjusted by turning themember 3|, and the member is locked in the desired position by the locknut `3l. As in the form of the invention shown in Fig. 1, the sealinggasket -I8 and the surfaces I and I3 are lubricatedfrom the chamber 29.An equal pressure is exertedron the contacting surface of the joint ofthis form ofthe invention throughout substantially the entire area of`the contacting surfaces by the member 3|.

Since changes may be effected i-n the forms of the invention selectedfor disclosure Without departing from the principles of the invention,it will be understood that the invention is not to be limited except bythe scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

L A flexible joint comprising a tubular casing with a concave innersurface adjacent one end thereof forming a socket, said socket having anopening therethrough, a substantially semispherical ball member having asubstantially annular concave inner surface and an outer surface adaptedto fit into and slidably engage the concave inner surface of the casing,passage forming means adapted to be connected at one end to a conduit,said passage forming means being secured in a fluid-tight manner to thecasing and extending into and terminating at the opposite end thereof insaid ball member, a portion at least of the passage forming meanscomprising tubular bellows adapted to expandand Ycontract axially of thecasing, said bellows l:being normally preloaded to exert a pressureaxially thereof, a gasket engaging in a fluid-tight manner the innersurface of the ball member and the outer surface of the portion yof thepassage forming means extending into said ball member, and means bywhich a conduit is secured to the ball member to communicate with thepassage forming means at means forms a continuous fluid-tight passagebetween said conduits.

2. A flexible jointrcomprising a tubular casing with a concave innersurface adjacent one end thereof forming a socket, said socket having anopening therethrough, a substantially semispherical ball member havingav substantially annular concave inner surface and an outer surfaceadapted to fit into and slidably engage the concave inner surface of.the casing, passage forming means adapted to be connected at one end toa conduit, said passage forming means being secured in a fluid-tightmanner to the casing and extending into and terminating at the oppositeend thereof in said ball member, a portion at least of the passageforming means comprising tubular bellows adaptedto expand and contractaxially of the casing said bellows being normally preloaded to exert apressure axially thereof, the bellows being of lesser .diameter than theinner diameter of the casing to form a lubricating chamber therein, agasket engaging in a fluid-tight manner the inner surface of the ballmember and the outer surface of the portion of the passage forming meansextending into said ball member, and means by which a conduit is securedto the ball member to communicate with the passage forming means at theend terminating in the ball, the arrangement being such that a sealingengagement is maintained between the gasket, said outer surface of thepassage forming means and the inner .surface of the ball member so thatsaid passage forming means forms a continuous fluid-tight passagebetween said conduits,

THOMAS J. HOY.

REFERENCES CITED rEhe following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,018,143 Vissering Feb. 20, 19121,702,066 Valentine Feb. 12, 1929 439,022 Martin Oct. 21, 1890 FOREIGNPATENTS Number l Country Date 94,537 Ger-many Jan. 3, 1897

